Racing Roundup: Big weekend for Canadians in MotoAmerica

Canadians had a big weekend in MotoAmerica; although no Canuck ex-pats won any events, they did land on the podium, and for one racer, it was especially sweet.

Darren James, who’s banged around the roadracing scene for almost two decades in events in Europe, Canada and the US, managed his first American national podium in the Twins event at MotoAmerica’s Sonoma weekend, bringing home a third aboard a Yamaha 700 twin.

Darren James aboard his Yamaha. A third place is a good result for a man who had to have some fingertips amputated due to a crash earlier this summer. Photo: Darren James/Facebook

James announced his retirement from roadracing a couple of years ago at the Daytona 200, but since then, he’s changed his mind, racing overseas and now back in the US. After losing some fingertips in a crash earlier this summer, this comeback has to be extra sweet, as it proves he’s still got what it takes to hang with the fast boys and girls.

Meanwhile, over in the Liquid Moly Junior Cup, it looked like Alex Dumas would take yet another victory aboard his KTM … and then he crashed out of P1 in the weekend’s first race. Bummer. But a second-place finish in Race 2, pushing him to 166 points, which is still first overall and 23 points ahead of second-overall Ashton Yates. Good stuff!

Braeden Ortt had his own crash in Supersport, binning it in Race 1. He finished Race 2 in P7, which lands him in eighth overall in the standings. JD Beach is now sitting with 265 points in first, a massive 100-point lead over second-place Hayden Gillam, and unless disaster strikes, he will surely take this series win.

The Canadian Motorcycle Guide

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